"I’m a big fan of his movies and I’ve often fit in his world of movies. I could see myself a character in his movies so the fact that this happened was really exciting."
Since winning the Academy Award in 2003, Adrien Brody has worked with the likes of top directors such as M. Night Shyamalan and Peter Jackson. But it’s Wes Anderson, says Brody, that he’s always envisioned himself working for someday.
In “The Darjeeling Limited,” Brody plays one of three brothers on a spiritual journey in India after reuniting following the death of their father. Each has their own reasons for not wanting to be home; Brody’s character, Peter, in particular is escaping the harsh realities of fatherhood which lie ahead for him. “The Darjeeling Limited” co-stars Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman.
We talked to Adrien about “The Darjeeling Limited” at a recent press day.
Q: You mentioned somewhere that you caught a bug or something while you were in India. Did a lot of people get sick?
ADRIEN: I think a few people caught bugs but it was handled swiftly and powerfully. But it was all good.
Q: Would you say that of the three brothers, your character is the angriest?
ADRIEN: I wouldn’t put it that way. [He’s] maybe the most emotional. I think the character is dealing with repressing his emotions and the problems in his life. I think he can only run away for so long before things explode. I think that’s what comes across as anger, this pent up frustration of not knowing how to cope and unleashes himself in these moments but then it dissipates.
Q: What was your understanding of what went wrong between the brothers at some point?
ADRIEN: Ultimately, Owen as the older brother, took on the role of trying to be the authority figure and I think my character resisted that. I think that’s common with older and middle brothers: nobody wants to be bossed around. But there’s love. The way I’ve described them is that they’re all fragments of one, complete being and without being around each other, they’re broken.
Q: You have never been in a Wes Anderson film so did you feel like an outsider when you go on board?
ADRIEN: Not at all. In most films, people may know each other but it’s rare that there’s a team that’s assembled already. The advantage was everyone got along very well and I just have to join in. I was very welcomed and it was very much a loving family environment.
I’ve been asked the question, “How was it like being the newcomer?” but it didn’t feel like that at all. I am honored that I was included in the group but Owen and Jason didn’t work together either. The three of us were all newcomers.
Q: Does Wes allow you to do any improvisation while shooting or does he run a tight ship?
ADRIEN: What’s interesting is that it feels very free and it looks improvisational but it’s pretty choreographed. The dialogue is relatively specific and the timing is specific. But I think the nature of how he shoots gives it this sense of life. It’s our job to make it feel spontaneous.
Q: How did Wes pitch the project to you and what did you find appealing about it?
ADRIEN: The main thing was that it was a chance to work with him. I’m a big fan of his movies and I’ve often fit in his world of movies. I could see myself a character in his movies so the fact that this happened was really exciting. I was shooting a film in Spain and the script came to me. I flew into New York to meet him and we had lunch and discussed it. I flew back to work. We were both interested but we had to convince the powers to be that I had a sense of humor.
Q: Do you consider yourself a spiritual person by nature?
ADRIEN: That’s a good question. I try to stay connected to being spiritual.
Q: Did being in India do anything to help that?
ADRIEN: It did. Often, my work helps me become more aware of myself and my humanity. I think India reinstills a sense of faith that I didn’t lose but reminded me that through all the chaos, there is order and there is some method to the madness, so to speak.